Many different bathtub and bassinet structures have been designed for babys. Generally they approximate similar structures designed for more mature individuals, the bathtub being simply a waterproof container, the bassinet being simply a flat bed.
In recent years it has become clear, from the teachings of Dr. Frederick Leboyer and others, that it is by far preferable to permit babys to gradually adapt themselves to the physical world after birth. The baby should be permitted to unfold itself and slowly open to the world at its own pace. They teach that it is particularly important to cradle the baby's spine, and to permit the baby to stretch and straighten itself as and when it so desires. Unfortunately, few if any bathtub and bassinet structures permit such a gradual unfoldment by the baby. Being designed as miniature versions of similar structures for adults, they implicitly assume that the child is a miniature adult, ignoring these important recent teachings of Dr. Leboyer and others.
An object of the present invention is to provide a combined bathtub and bassinet structure that is specifically designed and adapted to permit a baby held by such structure readily to assume the position most natural to it at that time. The structure should permit the baby's relatively unfettered movement to stimulate its exercise and exploration of the physical world. The bassinet should provide gentle, uniform support to the child in a wide range of positions, permitting the child to slowly adapt itself to the force of gravity. It should provide warmth, softness, freedom, and encourage a feeling of weightlessness. As the baby grows, gradually stretching and straightening its spine, the bassinet preferably should change and adapt to such changes in the baby. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.